University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS HELP INSPIRE [My teammates] are my sisters and my best friends, and I don ' t think you can find this anywhere else. - Meredith Hays Writer: Darcy Boultinghouse Photographer: Gunnar Rathbun Designer: Robert Conroy SEPTEMBER VOLLEYBALL

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ARKANSAS ARKANSAS ARKANSAS ARKANSAS ARKANSAS T he Razorback women ' s volleyball team was always known for its talented players, but perhaps never showed as much potential as they did during Head Coach Robert Pulliza ' s sixth season. The season, I think, is going really well, junior Meredith Hays said. We suffered losses that we shouldn ' t have, but that ' s something that heals and motivates us to keep this great thing we have going. Preseason, we started off really strong, senior outside hitter Hayley Koop said. We had a few injuries and complications along the way, but after all that we calmed down, everyone settled in and now we are back on our game. Despite a few hiccups, the team was determined to not let the tough times keep them from playing their very best. We ' ve grown from our rough patches, senior captain Emily Helm added. Our team hasn ' t even hit its peak. Our strength is in our camaraderie, and we just need to worry about our side of the net, play the game and have fun. Senior team co-captain Raymariely Santos agreed. I ' ve stepped into the role of captain since I was a freshman, and now I feel like I understand the role more, Santos said. I get to help and protect my teammates to death, especially the freshies. As far as their goals for the rest of the season, the Razorbacks had big dreams in mind. In my heart of hearts, the Final Four is what I keep in the back of my mind, Hays said. We know that the SEC is a very tough conference, and losing a match could mean everything, so we are fighting to go undefeated in the SEC play, Koop said. Doing so will give us a spot in the NCAA tournament, and anything happens from there. Once we get to the NCAA, we ' re just games away from being the national champions, Santos said. We just need to keep working hard and learning from not only our team but others, too. Not only were they strong competitors, the team displayed an unbreakable bond off the court as well. With it being my last season, I ' m not counting the days; instead, I ' m just trying to make them count, Santos said. Just being able to come to practice every day and practice getting better is amazing. I ' ve never seen a group quite like this before, Hays said. [My teammates] are my sisters and my best friends, and I don ' t think you can find this anywhere else. We ' re all different, but we love and compliment each other, and this team is a wonderful thing to be a part of. r ) SEPTEMBER UZO VOLLEYBALL